Prendre une pause de quelques minutes serait loin d’être anodin.
Si vous avez déjà eu une longue et intense journée de travail, vous avez surement senti le besoin – entre deux tâches à effectuer – de prendre un moment de pause de moins d’une dizaine de minutes pour souffler et, en quelque sorte, reprendre des forces. Mais une telle micro-pause peut-elle vraiment aider ou n’est-elle qu’une perte de temps qui ne fait que raccourcir des journées déjà bien trop chargées ?
Chronique diffusée le 22 mai 2025. L’ensemble des chroniques est accessible sur une playlist dédiée.
Pour aller plus loin :
« La meilleure façon de faire une pause », par Guillaume Jacquemont. Publié sur Cerveau et psycho, le 11/11/2022. Consulté le 22/04/2025. Lien : https://www.cerveauetpsycho.fr/sd/psychologie-travail/la-meilleure-facon-de-faire-une-pause-24255.php.
Un autre épisode du podcast en lien :
« La Tête Dans Le Cerveau #119 – L’impausant smartphone ».
Sources :
Albulescu P. et al. (2022). “Give me a break!” A systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of micro-breaks for increasing well-being and performance. Plos one, 17 (8) : 1-27.
Albulescu P. et al. (2025). Short breaks during the workday and employee-related outcomes. A diary study. Psychological reports, in press : 1-30.
Bakker A.B. et al. (2013). Workaholism and daily recovery : a day reconstruction study of leisure activities. Journal of organizational behavior, 34 (1) : 87-107.
Bennett A.A. et al. (2018). Recovery from work‐related effort : a meta‐analysis. Journal of organizational behavior, 39 (3) : 262-275.
Bennett A.A. et al. (2020). Examining the interplay of micro-break durations and activities for employee recovery : a mixed-methods investigation. Journal of occupational health psychology, 25 (2) : 126-142.
Blasche G. et al. (2018). Comparison of rest‐break interventions during a mentally demanding task. Stress and health, 34 (5) : 629-638.
Bosch C. et al. (2018). What makes for a good break ? A diary study on recovery experiences during lunch break. Journal of occupational and organizational psychology, 91 (1) : 134-157.
Claessens B.J. et al. (2010). Things to do today… : a daily diary study on task completion at work. Applied psychology, 59 (2) : 273-295.
Conlin A. et al. (2021). Comparing relaxation versus mastery microbreak activity : a within-task recovery perspective. Psychological reports, 124 (1) : 248-265.
De Bloom J. et al. (2009). Do we recover from vacation ? Meta‐analysis of vacation effects on health and well‐being. Journal of occupational health, 51 (1) : 13-25.
De Bloom J. et al. (2015). Recovery processes during and after work : associations with health, work engagement, and job performance. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine, 57 (7) : 732-742.
Florea L.T.A. (2023). Hitting the breaks while working from home. changes in taking-breaks behaviours during pandemic lockdowns. Sociológia, 55 (6) : 607-631.
Fritz C. et al. (2013). Embracing work breaks : recovering from work stress. Organizational dynamics, 42 (4) : 274-280.
Fritz C. et Sonnentag S. (2005). Recovery, health, and job performance : effects of weekend experiences. Journal of occupational health psychology, 10 (3) : 187-199.
Geurts S.A. et Sonnentag S. (2006). Recovery as an explanatory mechanism in the relation between acute stress reactions and chronic health impairment. Scandinavian journal of work, environment and health, 32 (6) : 482-492.
Helton W.S. et Russell P.N. (2017). Rest is still best : the role of the qualitative and quantitative load of interruptions on vigilance. Human factors, 59 (1) : 91-100.
Hennfng R.A. et al. (1989). Microbreak length, performance, and stress in a data entry task. Ergonomics, 32 (7) : 855-864.
Henning R.A. et al. (1997). Frequent short rest breaks from computer work : effects on productivity and well-being at two field sites. Ergonomics, 40 (1) : 78-91.
Janicke S.H. et al. (2018). Watching online videos at work : the role of positive and meaningful affect for recovery experiences and well-being at the workplace. Mass communication and society, 21 (3) : 345-367.
Kennedy G.A. et Ball H. (2007). Power break : a brief hypnorelaxation program to reduce work-related fatigue and improve work satisfaction, productivity, and well-being. Australian journal of clinical et experimental hypnosis, 35 (2) : 169-193.
Kim S. et al. (2017). Micro‐break activities at work to recover from daily work demands. Journal of organizational behavior, 38 (1) : 28-44.
Kim S. et al. (2018). Daily micro-breaks and job performance : general work engagement as a cross-level moderator. Journal of applied psychology, 103 (7) : 772-786.
Kim S. et al. (2022). Daily microbreaks in a self-regulatory resources lens : perceived health climate as a contextual moderator via microbreak autonomy. Journal of applied psychology, 107 (1) : 60-77.
Kühnel J. et al. (2009). Does work engagement increase after a short respite ? The role of job involvement as a double‐edged sword. Journal of occupational and organizational psychology, 82 (3) : 575-594.
Kühnel J. et al. (2020). Staying in touch while at work : relationships between personal social media use at work and work-nonwork balance and creativity. The international journal of human resource management, 31 (10) : 1235-1261.
Lacaze D.H.D.C. et al. (2010). Stretching and joint mobilization exercises reduce call-center operators’ musculoskeletal discomfort and fatigue. Clinics, 65 (7) : 657-662.
Lee R.T. et Ashforth B.E. (1996). A meta-analytic examination of the correlates of the three dimensions of job burnout. Journal of applied psychology, 81 (2) : 123-133.
McLean L. et al. (2001). Computer terminal work and the benefit of microbreaks. Applied ergonomics, 32 (3) : 225-237.
Michishita R. et al. (2017). The practice of active rest by workplace units improves personal relationships, mental health, and physical activity among workers. Journal of occupational health, 59 (2) : 122-130.
Nastasi J.A. et al. (2024). “Everybody needs to take breaks” : a qualitative analysis of registered behavior technicians’ experiences with taking breaks at work. Behavior analysis in practice, in press : 1-14.
Sianoja M. et al. (2018). Enhancing daily well-being at work through lunchtime park walks and relaxation exercises : recovery experiences as mediators. Journal of occupational health psychology, 23 (3) : 428-442.
Scholz A. et al. (2018). Functional work breaks in a high-demanding work environment : an experimental field study. Ergonomics, 61 (2) : 255-264.
Steed L.B. et al. (2021). Leaving work at work : a meta-analysis on employee recovery from work. Journal of management, 47 (4) : 867-897.
Steinborn M.B. et Huestegge L. (2016). A walk down the lane gives wings to your brain. Restorative benefits of rest breaks on cognition and self‐control. Applied cognitive psychology, 30 (5) : 795-805.
Steidle A. et al. (2017). Energizing respites from work : a randomized controlled study on respite interventions. European journal of work and organizational psychology, 26 (5) : 650-662.
Tucker P. (2003). The impact of rest breaks upon accident risk, fatigue and performance: a review. Work and stress, 17 (2) : 123-137.
Vieten L. et al. (2023). Employees’ work breaks and their physical and mental health : results from a representative german survey. Applied ergonomics, 110 (103998) : 1-14.
Wendsche J. et al. (2016). The impact of supplementary short rest breaks on task performance – A meta-analysis. Sozialpolitik.ch, 2/2016 (2.3) : 1-24.
Zacher H. et al. (2014). Micro-breaks matter : a diary study on the effects of energy management strategies on occupational well-being. Journal of vocational behavior, 85 (3) : 287-297.
Zhu Z. et al. (2019). The impact of within‐day work breaks on daily recovery processes : an event‐based pre‐/post‐experience sampling study. Journal of occupational and organizational psychology, 92 (1) : 191-211.
Zijlstra F.R. et Sonnentag S. (2006). After work is done : psychological perspectives on recovery from work. European journal of work and organizational psychology, 15 (2) : 129-138.
Source image :
Cottonbro studio – Personne tenant une assiette ronde blanche avec de la poudre blanche (2020). https://www.pexels.com/fr-fr/photo/personne-tenant-une-assiette-ronde-blanche-avec-de-la-poudre-blanche-5185163/
OpenEdition vous propose de citer ce billet de la manière suivante :
Christophe Rodo (22 mai 2025). La méliorante pause (épisode 317). Cerveau en argot. Consulté le 18 janvier 2026 à l’adresse https://doi.org/10.58079/1400e